Forget Me Not
by Zyra M
Summary: Han is off on a mission and has a bit of an accident, and Leia fears he is gone forever, but that is not exactly the case.
1. Chapter 1

This is a story I actually wrote probably 7 years ago originally. It has been posted elsewhere, but I decided to re-edit it once again and try to make it a bit better and share it here. It's a bit on the melodramatic and sappy side, but since I took the time to write it, I might as well post it anyway, right? Please let me know what you think and hope you enjoy reading it!

* * *

Nobody ever said starting a new government was going to be easy, and Leia Organa Solo – seated in front of her data pad and attempting to finish up her work for the day - was just the one for the job. Feeling a slight headache from staring at the glowing screen for much longer than was recommended, she wondered for about the hundredth time why she had ever agreed to it in the first place. Life would've been so much simpler if she lived a nice, low profile life somewhere with her husband of two years, Han. But the thought of those days full of meaningless duties made her cringe. As much as she sometimes hated to admit it, this was where she belonged, even though it would've been nice to take a break every once in a while_**. **_

She had been sifting though numerous documents for just over an hour while Han was busy making some last-minute repairs on the _Falcon_ before he shipped off the following day on a mission of his own. She had promised to make him dinner for his last night at home. Scratch that; she promised dinner would be there for him when he arrived. She may have been a brilliant politician, but she was far from proficient in the culinary arts. Fortunately, Han understood that and compensated accordingly, making dinner whenever it was possible. But this time she was giving him a break before he had to leave.

Just as she powered down the datapad the door chimed, signaling the arrival of dinner. She had ordered from Han's favorite Corellian restaurant, knowing he would prefer that to anything she might attempt to cook, and because she knew what it was like to be stuck eating rations aboard a ship for a week or so. You were always better off leaving with a full stomach.

After transferring the appropriate amount of credits to the delivery droid, she inhaled the aroma of the Corellian-spiced beef that Han loved so much. In the years they had spent together, Han had turned her into quite a fan of it as well, and she felt her own stomach growl in anticipation. Finding it difficult to resist starting without him, she took her time to carefully set the food out on the table and ignite the tall, lavender candles in the center. The meal looked as though she had prepared it herself, but she knew it would never fool Han. He knew her well enough to know that she would never be able to make anything that good. He didn't fault her for that, though, since she made up for it in so many other areas.

She had taken the time earlier to carefully select a bottle of wine that would perfectly accent the cuisine she had chosen, and pulled the chilled bottle from the cooling unit. She had just managed to set it out on the table when she heard her husband returning home. "Hi, sweetheart, I'm home," he yelled from the doorway.

"I've missed you, dear. I spent all day slaving over a hot stove to prepare this wonderful meal for you," Leia responded sarcastically.

"Well, it looks delicious. Which obviously means you had nothing to do with it."

"I did, too!" As Han looked at her skeptically, she added, "I ordered it, and I even paid for it."

"That's good enough for me." Han's voice softened. "Thank you, I really appreciate it."

She walked over to him, wrapped her arms around his waist and gave him a quick kiss. "I'm happy to do it. Don't want to have my husband flying off on an empty stomach. Besides, I was hungry too."

"Good, because I'm starved."

"Well, you've come to the right place." She slipped her hand into his and led him over to the dimly lit table.

"It looks great," Han said. "And you're not so bad yourself."

"Well, thanks. But you need to sit down and eat. Then you can tell me how wonderful I look."

"Don't worry, I plan to."

The meal was just as delicious as it looked, and once they had finished eating, they laughed and drank wine and did their best to pretend that they weren't once again about to be separated. It may have happened fairly often, but that didn't make it any less difficult. It seemed as though they could only manage to spend a week together at a time, if that.

For now, they were simply enjoying each other's company, delighted just to be together and spend an intimate evening alone. After sharing another laugh, Han held Leia's hand across the dimly lit table in silence.

She smiled at him, feeling her heart warm at his gaze, able to tell just by the adoring look in his eyes what he was thinking. She never knew it was possible to be loved so much, or that she could feel the same thing in return. "You didn't finish your dessert," she said as she noticed Han's half-eaten bowl of chocolate mousse. "Didn't you like it?"

"I loved it. I just can't eat another bite."

"Is that so?" Leia said as she leaned over and scooped some of the mousse onto her index finger, bringing it to his lips. "Come on, one more bite."

He leaned in and took her finger into his mouth, tasting the sweetness as he licked every bit of it off her finger with his tongue. "Mmmmm. Delicious. And I'm not talking about the dessert."

"That's too bad. Took me three hours to whip it up from scratch."

He gave her his famous grin before he reached up and brushed his thumb along her cheek. "I don't know how I can possibly leave you so often."

"I know the feeling. Unfortunately, we both realize that there's more in life than just the two of us."

Han nodded in silent agreement, wishing that didn't have to be the case. Although they were the most important aspects of each other's lives, they still held other responsibilities. "Luckily, it doesn't have to be that way all the time. Tonight, you're all there is for me, Leia."

He leaned in and kissed her softly as she tasted the sweet chocolate on his lips. After a few moments, they parted and Leia opened her eyes to see Han looking to her expectantly, his hazel eyes almost dancing as they reflected the flickering candlelight. She let a small smile tug at her lips and then leaned over and blew out the two candles that illuminated the table. Standing, Han offered his hand to Leia before guiding her into their bedroom, where they stopped for a moment and stood at the foot of the bed,. Staring into each other's eyes they felt the familiar heated desire building between them.

Han reached up and undid the clasp that held Leia's hair up and let it fall over her shoulders, running his fingers through the silkiness. Tracing his fingers lightly over her skin, he slowly slid her robe down her arms and to the floor. She was reminded again of how lucky she was to have found someone she loved and trusted so much, and it was because of that love and trust that she could allow herself to become completely vulnerable to him at times like this.

There was a time in her life when that idea frightened her, and it had taken Han a long time to break down the barriers Leia had built up to guard herself. She wasn't sure how she kept them up for so long, or why she wouldn't let herself give in to what she felt for him sooner. All she knew was that she was overjoyed when she finally let him in, and now she was his and nothing else mattered.

They spent much of the evening moving in a familiar rhythm and savoring the love and pleasure they brought to one another. Hours later, when sleep was finally beckoning, Han looked into Leia's beautiful brown eyes, relishing the thought that he was the reason for the look of love and contentedness so evident on her face. It never failed to warm his once-lonely heart whenever she looked at him that way. For the first few years he had known her, he wasn't sure if she was even capable of being happy. Luckily, he had managed to change all that, and he had silently vowed to give her every reason to smile for the rest of her life_**. **_

"I love you," he said as he stroked the hair away from her forehead.

"I know," she smiled back and pulled his face to hers to kiss him again.

He pulled away for a moment to respond. "You're never gonna let me live that one down, are you?"

She didn't even hesitate to answer. "Nope."

"I love you more for that."

"And I love you."

"I know." They shared one last kiss before Han rested his head on the pillow beside Leia's. As much as she loved the intimate moments she got to share with her husband, Leia had to be back at work the next day and Han had to leave early too. They wanted nights like this to last forever. Knowing they never could, they made sure to never let an opportunity for physical intimacy pass them by. It wasn't long before they were finally sleeping peacefully in each other's arms, awaiting the morning where they would be forced to say goodbye again.

* * *

Han awoke first to find his wife sound asleep against his side, and he was unable to keep himself from smiling at seeing her sleeping so peacefully. He knew how much she had been through and how hard she worked, and it was nice to see her getting some well-deserved rest. He would have loved to spend all day there with her in that bed, and although there were times when they were able to do just that, he was running out of time before he had to leave. When he couldn't put it off any longer, he slowly pulled his arm out from under Leia's head and tried not to disturb her. Being a notoriously light sleeper, her eyes opened almost immediately.

"Sorry, I was trying not to wake you," Han said.

Leia's voice came back, sleepily. "You know that's impossible. It's okay. I wanted to say goodbye before you left, anyway."

"I wasn't gonna leave without saying goodbye_, _I just thought maybe you could get in a few more minutes."

"Too late. I'm up now."

"Well, at least I tried." He leaned down and kissed her forehead and then walked to the 'fresher to prepare for the imminent departure.

Leia put on her robe and went into the kitchen to get something for breakfast. Han wouldn't have time to eat anything before he left, so she just grabbed a piece of fruit and sat down to watch the morning holo news vid.

A few minutes later, Han entered, dressed and clean-shaven. "Time to go?" Leia asked.

"Unfortunately, once again," he replied.

Leia walked over to him and absently fixed the collar of his shirt. "You be careful."

"Hey, it's me."

Leia couldn't help but laugh. He hadn't changed much. "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you, too," he said just before leaning down to give her a lingering kiss.

They tightly embraced, absorbing all the warmth they could to hold them over until they were reunited again. "I'll see you in two weeks," Leia said against Han's chest.

"Yep. You just promise to be here when I get back. I hate it when I'm gone, and when I finally get back you're off on some mission of your own. I mean, what's the use of coming home if you're not even going to be here?"

"I'll be here. There's no travelling on my schedule for a little while, at least."

"Great, keep it that way." He kissed the top of her head and then stood back to look at her. "Bye, sweetheart."

"Bye, flyboy." He kissed her quickly one last time and went on his way, leaving her alone in their now all-too-empty apartment.


	2. Chapter 2

Han Solo and his faithful sidekick, Chewbacca, sat in the cockpit of the _Millenium Falcon_ as they flew through hyperspace on autopilot towards their destination. Han was bored. He had been gone for over a week now, and things were becoming tedious. This particular mission wasn't exactly thrilling, as somehow he had managed to volunteer scoping out the New Republic trade routes. He also had to check on several of the ports on a few planets just to make sure that everything was running smoothly. It was basically just to keep up appearances with their new affiliates. If you were going to get these people to join the New Republic, you had to keep them happy and let them know that they were important. Unfortunately, Han was the man for the job.

He sat in his pilot's chair just counting the minutes. He hated missions like this. There was nothing exciting to look forward to; it was just something that had to be done. Although, he had to admit, sometimes it was nice to go on a mission and not have to worry about being shot at.

After he thought he might go out of his mind from the waiting, the indicators showed that they were finally nearing their destination of Ord Mantell_**.**_ Han didn't have many fond memories of this place, but things were different now. Luckily, this was the last stop on their trip and soon he would be back home with his wife. That thought alone was enough to get him through this final checkpoint. Chewie snapped out of his own trance and prepared to come out of hyperspace.

They landed without incident. Han hoped that maybe they could get in and out of the port in less than an hour, but he knew that the trade officials were usually prone to conversing too much. He didn't like talking about defeating the Empire, but as much as he may have hated it, he had become a fairly well known individual. He liked it better when he could go from place to place unnoticed, but that was no longer possible. He wasn't known by sight everywhere he visited, but when he went on these missions, everyone knew he was coming. Though he would rather simply ignore any questions and be on his way, Leia always insisted that he be as nice as possible when dealing with others in the New Republic. They had grown to respect him, and the last thing he needed to do was shatter that image. So he did his best to feign interest in everything they said, no matter how annoyed he might be.

The first human trade official greeted him on the platform. "General Solo! How good to see you! Please, come with me; some of my men would love to meet you."

_Here we go again,_ Han thought to himself. But, on the outside, a fake smile was glued to his face as Chewie followed close behind, trying to suppress the Wookiee-equivalent of a chuckle.

* * *

Han swore under his breath as he looked at his chrono. "That took longer than we thought, huh, pal?"

Chewie growled in agreement, equally annoyed.

"Well, I don't know about you, but I'm starved. Let's try to find a decent meal before we get out of here." Chewie nodded as they walked off towards the marketplace to find a restaurant. Han picked out one of the local dives, knowing that the service was quick and the food was usually edible. After they ate, Han sent Chewie back to get the _Falcon_ ready to go, while he thought he might try to find something nice to bring home for Leia. Ord Mantell may have had some bad memories for Han, but they still had some nice shops.

He wandered much further down the street than he had initially intended, but still didn't really see anything he liked. He gave up and decided to head back to the port, but was stopped when an adolescent boy bumped into him. Normally he wouldn't have thought much of it, but something about him just didn't seem right. Han stared him straight in the eye as the kid walked slowly into the crowd. The feeling of uneasiness didn't fade, and Han was never one to suppress a gut feeling. Reaching back to his rear pocket he discovered just what he thought; his wallet was gone, and all of his credits. The kid was a pickpocket, and a well trained one at that as Han hadn't felt a thing. If Han hadn't spent a fair amount of his own childhood doing the same thing, he might never have noticed.

Not wanting to scare the kid away, he started walking towards him slowly. But the kid immediately knew he was being followed, and took off running. "Hey!" Han shouted as he bolted through the crowd after him. They darted through the streets, dodging shoppers in their way. The further they ran, the fewer people there were until they had gone beyond the marketplace and were headed towards the outskirts, where there wasn't much besides trees.

The young thief ran into some tall bushes, and Han went in after him. It was so thick he could hardly see anything in front of him. But the sound of the leaves rustling in front of him led him in the right direction. Han was breathing hard and his legs took him faster than he had run in ages, but he kept going, into the thick brush, determined to find that kid.

Without warning, his feet fell from underneath him, and he found himself tumbling uncontrollably towards the ground, with no idea of far down it was. He found out quickly as he smashed into the rocks at the base of the cliff and the impact left him unconscious.

* * *

It was the middle of the night on Coruscant. Leia hadn't been asleep for too long, but she never slept very well when Han was away. Suddenly, her breath caught in her throat and she sat up in bed, overcome with the heart-wrenching feeling that something horrible had happened. She had never felt anything so strongly. Her pulse raced, and her eyes began to water as she found herself barely able to breathe.

_Han?_

She searched for his presence in the Force. She wasn't exactly a Jedi, but if she needed to, she could always reach out and touch Han through the Force. Although he might never know she was there, she would have all the reassurance she needed when she would feel his wonderfully familiar presence. She attempted to calm herself, then reached out for him, but she found nothing.

She didn't know what to do. He couldn't possibly be dead, could he? But that was almost what it felt like. A sharp, unequivocal feeling that something had gone terribly wrong with her husband awakened her. And then there was nothing. What other explanation could there be?

She fought back the tears, got out of bed and tried to decide what to do. She would not believe he was dead. Not now. She found her comlink and frantically tried to get in contact with the _Millennium Falcon_, hoping that she would hear Han's voice and all of her fears would be put to rest. She was momentarily relieved when a familiar wookiee grunt came in response. Chewie had pledged his life to Han, and he would never let anything happen to him, so Han had to be okay.

She was finally able to catch her breath and managed to speak. "Thank the maker, Chewie. Where's Han?"

Leia listened as Chewie explained that he had stopped to pick something up in the marketplace and would be back shortly. Leia let out a sigh of relief as the tears in her eyes nearly spilled over, though she was still not entirely convinced. "Listen, Chewie, do me a favor. Let me know the minute Han gets back. I just have this funny feeling. So if you don't see him soon, I want you to go and find him."

Chewie told her he would do just that. Leia knew what a blessing it was to have Chewie around. He had made so many things so much easier. She signed off and began waiting. Although the conversation had made her feel a little bit better, something deep inside of her led her to believe that Han was in terrible trouble. She tried to push the fear down, but the more time that passed, the harder it was to suppress the feeling. She did the only other thing she could think of. She called Luke and told him to come over right away.


	3. Chapter 3

He slowly came back into consciousness. After opening his eyes and finding everything a blur, he blinked several times in an attempt to regain his vision and figure out what had happened and, more importantly, where he was. Neither of those things became clear, even after he managed to sit up. He felt a sharp pain in the back of his head, and he reached back with his hand only to find a swollen lump. His head throbbed, but he thought it was more important to get up and try to figure out what had happened to him.

He stood up and looked around. There was a long, steep hill behind him, and beyond that all he could see were trees. He determined he must've fallen down the hill and hit his head on the way down. But how had he fallen? And where was he? And what was he doing there? _Think, damn it!_ He became almost panic-stricken as he searched his mind for the answers to any of those questions. Unfortunately, all he could come up with were more questions - questions that he should've known the answers to. Then, he suddenly thought, _Who am I?_

He finally realized that not only did he not know where he was, he had no idea _who _he was. This was going to complicate things considerably. He would not know who his friends were, or, more importantly, who his enemies were. Of course from the lack of civilization, that may not even come into play. His eyes lit up when he realized that whoever he was, he was likely to be carrying some type of identification. He felt around his pockets, but became discouraged when he found nothing. _What kind of a guy goes around without any ID? Or any credits?_

Realizing that he wasn't getting anywhere, it became obvious that he wasn't going to find out who he was on his own. He hoped that someone somewhere nearby might know him when they saw him. If he had fallen down that hill, someone must have been looking for him, right? But who knew if he even had any friends at all? Or if someone had thrown him down the hill on purpose? He could've been a lonely hermit who lived here in the woods all alone. But he dismissed that thought because he determined that a man who lived alone was not likely to be dressed so well in such clean clothes – or at least clothes that appeared to have been clean before he went tumbling down the hillside.

But where was the civilization? Perhaps it was above him. He strained his neck to find the top of the hill he decided he had fallen down. Being far too steep with difficult terrain, he thought it doubtful he'd be able to climb back up. Maybe there was something in the woods. He decided to test his luck and start walking, not having the slightest clue where he was headed, but not really having any other alternative.

* * *

Luke arrived at Leia's apartment in the middle of the night, not long after she had contacted him. He found her pacing the living room in her robe, but she immediately stopped when she saw him, going to him and throwing her arms around him in a crushingly desperate hug. He had never seen her so frightened before.

She was near tears as she pulled away and looked into his eyes. "Luke, something's wrong."

"I know, Leia. Tell me exactly what happened."

She led him over to the couch and they both sat down. "I can hardly explain it. I was sound asleep and then all of a sudden I felt like Han was gone. I searched for him in the Force, but there was nothing. I can't find him, Luke, and I'm so scared that he's…"

"Don't say it. You can't know that. Did you try Chewie?"

"I talked to him right away. He said that Han should've been back in a few minutes and he'd call me when he got back. But that was an hour ago, Luke. He should be back by now. Please, tell me I'm wrong. But I'm so worried that I'm not."

"All right. I'm going to reach out for him. But if I can't find him, I don't want you to give up all hope. There are so many things that might interfere. Neither one of us is perfect, and since Han isn't himself Force-sensitive…"

"Spare me the lecture and just do it," she pleaded.

"Right." Luke shut his eyes and reached out through the Force. He had been trained to feel the energy flowing from life forms. In time, he had harnessed the Force energy enough to be able to identify specific individuals, or the aura they created. Han was usually not difficult for him to find, and having no Jedi abilities of his own, he would be unable to block such touches with the Force.

But this time, no matter how hard he tried or how much the Force flowed through him, Luke felt no trace of the Corellian, and he was beginning to understand why Leia seemed so panicked. Leia and Han shared a special connection, which was why Leia would've felt any strong feeling from Han without even trying to. Luke, on the other hand, would likely only feel it if he were looking for it. The emptiness he felt as he searched for his lost brother-in-law was replaced with the combination of fear and confusion radiating from his sister. He tried one last time to find Han's presence in the Force, but came up devastatingly empty-handed.

Opening his eyes and looking to Leia, he saw the hopeful look on her face. Luke knew he was her last resort. He was the one who could tell her that she was wrong, and that Han was perfectly fine. He didn't know how to tell her that he was as unsuccessful as she was. Unfortunately, Jedi skills or no, she could read him like a book, and the look on his face was enough to tell her that her worst fears might have been true.

Overcome with despair, she couldn't hold back the tears any longer, and she buried her face in Luke's shoulder. "Please, don't let him be dead," she sobbed.

He tried to control his own emotions. Things looked bad, but he knew that there was still a chance they were wrong. There could have been some other reason they couldn't find Han's life-Force, and he knew they would not rest until they found Han. He just hoped that when they did, he would be alive.

* * *

It seemed as though he had been walking around in circles. There was nothing but trees, and he was getting tired of it. He had no idea where he was going, and whoever he was, he could tell he had a temper, because his frustrations were making him incredibly angry. He wanted to know where he was, and he wanted to know _now_. In his need to vent his frustration, he balled his fist and punched the nearest tree, knowing it would not help, but hoping to take out a little of his aggression. The only thing he accomplished was a sharp pain that surged through his hand and some skinned knuckles. He let out an expletive, and with the ease it escaped his lips, determined he must've used it a lot. Not that any of these small clues were going to help, but at this point, he was going to take what he could get.

He decided to walk on, but he didn't get far before coming upon a wide stream. It wasn't until then that he realized how thirsty he was, and he leaned over, cupping his hands as he dipped them into the cool water and brought it to his lips. After slurping a few handfuls he suddenly caught his reflection in the water. It was really something to look at your own reflection and not recognize the stranger staring back at you.

He reached up and felt the features on his face, almost not believing that it was him; running his hands back through his hair and staring deep into his own eyes, searching for some recognition, but nothing was there. He couldn't help but laugh. However inappropriate it might have seemed, it was the only thing he could think of that might help a little bit.

_Well, _he thought, _At least I'm good-lookin'. Wonder where I got this scar, though? I hope someday I get to find out._ He stood and began to walk again, though he still had no clue where he was headed. Sooner or later, he was bound to run into someone. He just hoped that that someone would be friendly.

* * *

After appearing to be inconsolable, Leia managed to calm herself and remember, with a little help from her Jedi brother, that there was still a very good possibility that Han was alive. Luke urged her to remember that she was never one to give up.

Leia tried to keep hoping for the best, but she had always been able to find Han whenever she was worried about him. It wasn't easy to convince herself that there was still a chance.

Chewie had called back, frantic. Leia knew how he must have been feeling. The wookiee had dedicated his life to protecting Han, and he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he let something happen to him. Leia instructed him to go out and look for him, but to check back with her every once in a while and let her know if he had found any sign of him. She couldn't bear to wait too long without knowing anything.

She debated going to Ord Mantell, but Luke convinced her to wait on that at least a little while. If anyone could find him, Chewie could. She decided he might be right, but secretly told herself that not long from now, she was going to find him herself, no matter what it took.

She continued to pace back and forth in the apartment, too overcome with worry to sit still. She squeezed the comlink in her hand, almost willing it to go off, hoping that she would hear Han's beloved voice tell her everything was fine.

_Please find him, Chewie. You have to find him._

* * *

Chewie stormed through the streets of Ord Mantell, pushing through the thousands of humans and humanoids that crowded the area, his eye trained to find only one, specific human. Unfortunately, up to this point, he had yet to spot him. He had gone almost to the edge of the marketplace, still unable to find the ex-smuggler he was searching for.

He reached for his comlink and tried to see if maybe Han had gone back to the _Falcon, _but all he got in response was dead air. He let out a disappointed whimper and decided he should update Leia again. This was the part he hated the most. He loved Leia as much as he loved Han, and he didn't enjoy hurting her with consistently disappointing updates. But she deserved to know what was going on.

He was about to give her the bad news when he bumped into a young kid. The kid looked up at the towering wookiee__in front of him and was startled enough to back away, but not before he dropped something on the ground. In his frustration, Chewie snarled loudly and the kid ran off. Chewie's eyes traveled downward as he was drawn to the small object the kid had dropped. He couldn't believe his eyes. There at his feet was Han's ID chip. He picked it up and stared at it, not knowing what to do next.

Searching the crowd, he tried to find the kid who'd dropped it, but he couldn't see him anywhere. He would not forget that face, and if he had to, he would search all day and night until he found that kid again and found out how he had come across Han's ID. Starting off in the direction the kid had fled, he was determined to find him, no matter what information he might have.

* * *

He was becoming increasingly irritated. There was no civilization in sight, and no matter how much he tried, he could not remember who he was. He had decided that the only thing he could do at this point was go back to the hill he had fallen down and find a way to climb back up. Hopefully, there was a good chance that there would be less of an incline somewhere. But he decided that any answers he was going to get were going to be at the top of that hill. He began walking back to where he had come from, mad at himself for ever walking so far off in the first place. He just hoped that he was smarter than that. He would probably be better off not knowing who he was if he found out he made stupid decisions like that all the time.

* * *

Chewie had a distinct advantage in his search. Being as tall as he was, he was able to see over almost every being in the marketplace, making it easier to spot the kid. Marching along, scanning the faces in the crowd, he along, he searched for hours, refusing to give up. He was not going to lose the one lead he had on finding his partner.

Finally, his search was over as he spotted the kid leaning against a dark corner of a building, counting credits. The kid's face was instantly fear –stricken as Chewie lifted him off the by the collar of his shirt, leaving his feet dangling uselessly beneath him.

"Put me down!" he shouted.

Chewie gave him a snarl and showed his teeth just enough to shut him up.

"I don't know what you're talking about," the kid said.

Chewie was surprised that the kid understood him, and he asked him how he knew.

"You learn a lot of stuff out here. I know a lot of languages. If you just put me down I'll tell you what you want to know. I ain't goin' nowhere with you in front of me."

Chewie lowered him back to his feet and the kid smoothed his hands over his shirt, trying to make himself presentable again. "Now what do you want?"

Chewie held up Han's ID chip in front of him and asked him where he had gotten it.

"That?" He hesitated a moment before continuing. "Oh, I just found it on the ground or somethin'."

Chewie didn't believe him for a second, and he effortlessly hoisted him back into the air.

"All right, all right. I lifted it off this guy and then he chased me for a while, but I got away."

Chewie growled loudly and asked him where he had last seen Han.

"I went to the edge of the marketplace over there and hid in the woods above the cliff. He just stopped following me after that. He might've fallen over the edge, I'm not really sure. If you don't know that area, it sorta sneaks up on you. Whatever happened though, it wasn't my fault. I told you what you wanted to know, now will you let me go?"

Chewie had no choice, so he set him down and after the kid gave him a dirty look, he scared him off with a loud, firm growl. He had bigger things to worry about now. He walked off towards the edge of the marketplace, hoping that he would be able to find Han - and hoping to find him in one piece.


	4. Chapter 4

Leia was growing increasingly impatient. She had been unable to get back to sleep after the frantic state in which she was awakened. The sun had risen over the Coruscant skyline, but the daylight did nothing to brighten her dark mood. Luke urged her to have something to eat, but she refused. There was a tight knot in her stomach that constantly reminded her of how worried she was about her husband.

Chewie had checked in once already, although he had no news to report. Every moment that went by there was a little less hope she had left in her heart. But she was strong, and she wasn't going to believe he was dead, no matter what her feelings told her. She had never hoped so much in her life that she was wrong.

In the midst of replaying another terrible scenario in her head, she felt her heart jump at the sound of her comlink. It was Chewie, and this time he told her how he found Han's ID chip and the kid who dropped it, as well as the cliff the kid had mentioned.

Leia's heart sank as she thought of her husband falling helplessly over the edge, recalling the feeling that had disrupted her sleep. It was abrupt, as would be Han's death if that was what had happened. The mournfulness that Chewie spoke with only added to Leia's fear. He was so strong on the outside, but inside he was one of the softest, most caring individuals she had ever encountered, and she knew that he was quite possibly as troubled by Han's disappearance as she was.

"Chewie, please try to find him. If anyone can, I know it's you."

He gave her the small reassurance that he would not rest until he found him. And he told her that as soon as he knew anything, he would contact her immediately. She said goodbye and tried to keep herself from bursting into tears. For the first time all morning, she was successful.

* * *

After a difficult bit of climbing, he had finally reached the peak of the hill, letting out a sigh of relief through ragged breaths. He had been pleased to find that he was in decent shape, still finding out small details about himself. Sweat dripping off his chin and legs burning from exertion, he rested a moment to catch his breath before taking in his surroundings. He was still in a somewhat remote area, but off in the distance he could see a town and hear the unmistakable hum that came from a populated area. The sun was beginning to set, so he determined he had to get there as soon as he could so that maybe he could find someone there who knew him. He dusted off his hands and started off towards the town he hoped held the answers to at least some of his questions.

Finally reaching the marketplace, he was stopped in his tracks by the sweet smell of food. Until then he hadn't realized how hungry he was. But then he remembered that he had no credits. He felt like swearing again, but kept it to himself this time, though the marketplace didn't appear crowded as darkness had fallen and many of the stores appeared to be closing for the evening.

Deciding his stomach wasn't going to allow him to do much else, he opted to test his luck with one of the restaurant managers, wondering if maybe one of them might recognized him and know he was good for the money. He knew it was far-fetched, but it was worth a shot.

When a particularly delicious-smelling establishment enticed him, he made his way to the entrance. Not knowing where to begin, he approached the doorway and the man waiting expectantly to seat him. So he just made it as simple as he could. "Um, do you know me?"

The man looked at him quizzically. "I'm sorry, sir. Should I?"

_Damn, so much for that._ "Never mind. Sorry to bother you." He didn't really expect that to work, but somehow he was hoping it would. He came across a local bar that seemed to still have quite a few patrons. He decided maybe something or someone in there might ring a bell. He entered slowly, not wanting to attract any unwanted attention. After all, just as any one of those people could have been a friend of his, they could have just as easily been an enemy.

Slowly walking through the bar, he tried to listen in on conversations, hoping that something would spark his memory. Unfortunately, so far nothing much was worth hearing.

But suddenly, something caught his ear and made him almost jump. It was just a word, not even a whole sentence, but he caught the tail end of something being said by one of the customers. "…I was doing a solo run…"

_Solo._ But why would that make him stop? It was just a word, but it had caught his attention. Searching his clouded mind, he tried to find some other connection, but it was too frustrating.

His thoughts were interrupted when he felt a tap on his shoulder and turned to find an attractive young woman with long, golden hair, eyeing him in a way that made him a little uncomfortable. "Looking for something?"

"Uh, I don't know," he said. He wasn't sure how to deal with this. She was attractive, but he had no idea if he was otherwise attached, and until then he hadn't even considered that. He hoped he did have a wife, because then someone was apt to be looking for him. But then again, how could he possibly forget something like that? Even if he did, maybe it was worth forgetting about in the first place. Still, something just didn't feel right about this, and he decided he was going to have to get rid of this woman.

"Well then, you must have time to have a drink with me."

"I'm sorry, I can't."

"What, are you married or something?" She reached up and brushed her hand along his shoulder. Her touch gave him this feeling of uneasiness, so much that he almost winced. No, something just didn't feel right about this. He needed to get out of there.

"Uh, yeah," He answered, somehow knowing that that was the quickest and easiest way to get rid of a woman. Then he added under his breath, "Maybe."

"That's too bad. If you change your mind, handsome, you know where to find me."

He nodded to her and then decided it was time to move on. Not getting anywhere, he left the bar to find that darkness had fallen, and the streets were almost empty. He had another unfortunate realization that he had no clue where he was going to sleep. Maybe he should've taken that woman up on her offer, but something in his mind was stopping him from letting that happen.

He was exhausted and hungry, but maybe if he slept a little bit he might forget about the hunger. That is, if the growling in his stomach wouldn't keep him awake all night. He decided to walk just outside of town to try to get some sleep somewhere on the ground. He was already a complete mess, so a night in the woods shouldn't do too much more damage. The only reassurance he had was that with the relatively clean clothes he had awoken in, this type of sleeping arrangement was most likely not a common occurrence. He could only hope that tomorrow he would figure everything out.

* * *

Leia knew night had fallen on Ord Mantell. Chewie had told her that he had not found Han, but he would continue to search into the night. He had contacted the local medical facilities, who hadn't come across the Corellian.

Leia found herself unable to concentrate on any work, so she asked Luke to accompany her at home. He was worried too. He continued to try to reach out and find Han's presence in the Force, but always came up with nothing. Maybe Leia was right. Maybe he really was gone, though he would never voice that thought to her. He continued to give her small reassurances every once in a while that Chewie would find him and everything would be fine. But she appreciated it more when he was quiet, and offered only his companionship in silence.

She made a decision; if she got no word from Han by nightfall, she would depart for Ord Mantell in the morning.

* * *

He awoke as the sun rose, after sleeping surprisingly well. Searching for his__own identity was proving to be an exhausting task. Before fully opening his eyes, he recalled images from a strange dream he'd had. He remembered seeing a woman in his dream, though he was unable to make out her face. She was walking towards him, and he was walking towards her, but all the while they seemed not to be getting any closer. All he could see of her were long, flowing white robes, and he felt an incredible need to get to her. She reached out her hand for him, and he reached out for her, but they never touched. He wondered if maybe this was someone he knew. He hoped that someday he would be able to remember that face. Judging by the urgency he felt to get to her, it seemed likely that face must have been worth seeing again.

He sat up, stretching his arms and scratching at the stubble on his chin. _Chalk that up for one more little thing I know about myself, _he thought. _I'm not a bad lookin' guy, there's something about the word 'solo,' and I like a good shave._

On top of not knowing who he was, he also still happened to be starving. Obviously, a good night's sleep did nothing to curb his hunger. Knowing his appearance was less than stellar but also knowing there wasn't much he could do about it, he dusted himself off and walked back towards the marketplace.

Still clueless about his identity, he walked the streets looking into the eyes of everyone he passed. He could tell he was starting to frighten people, unshaven and wearing considerably dirty clothes, he looking like a vagrant wandering the streets, but not knowing what else to do. He thought about going to the local law enforcement and explaining his situation, but then he suddenly wondered if maybe he was a criminal. If he wasn't before, he was going to turn into one soon, because he needed some food no matter how he had to get it.

* * *

Chewie had searched all night, finding no trace of his best friend near the cliff or anywhere else. In a way, that should have given him some reassurance. But the problem still remained: Han was still missing. He checked in with the _Millennium Falcon_ from time to time to see if maybe Han had made his way back there, but he always got the same, static response.

The authorities had been notified of Han's disappearance, but so far they hadn't been much help since Han had not been missing for that long. He knew that Leia would probably be coming to meet him soon, and he couldn't bear the thought of seeing her face and knowing how much he had let her down, too. He was supposed to protect Han and keep him out of danger. Granted, Han had made things tough on the poor wookiee, but he had still done everything in his power to watch over him, even when Han didn't want him to.

His thoughts were suddenly brought back to the present when out of the corner of his eye, he thought he saw a certain tall, brown-haired Corellian. He looked hard at the man quite a ways up the street. He was dirty, his hair was unkempt, and his face was covered in stubble, but the man was unmistakable as the most famous smuggler-turned hero in the galaxy. He tried to contain himself as he pushed through the crowd and ran up to him. Han looked almost scared and slightly disoriented as Chewie scooped him off the ground into a big hug.

* * *

_What the hell is going on?_ He thought as the giant wookiee wrapped his arms around him. At first, he feared that the thing was going to squeeze the life out of him, but he was surprised and relieved at that the gesture wasn't violent. He was completely caught off guard, but maybe now he could finally get some of the answers he was looking for, because it was pretty obvious that this thing knew him from somewhere.

Finally, the wookiee put him down and started talking a mile a minute. He was surprised when he realized that he could make out what the wookiee was saying through the mess of grunts and growls. "Where have I been? No, I get a question answered first. Who are you?"

The wookiee looked at him questioningly then spoke much more softly than he had before. "No, I don't know who you are. I don't even know who_ I_ am. You gotta help me here. I've been looking for someone to recognize me since yesterday. Problem is, I can't recognize anyone for myself, so it made things a little harder. Please, tell me you can help me."

Chewie couldn't believe his ears, but suddenly it all made sense. He decided to answer Han's question before he asked any of his own. After all, he must've been through a lot. He simply told him that he was a good friend. There was no need to try to explain everything all at once. He was just happy to find him alive and well.

"Well, I'm glad to hear I have a good friend here somewhere. Wish I could remember you, though."

Chewie__spoke again, telling his name. "Chewbacca, huh?"

Another series of growls.

"But I always call you Chewie." He thought for a moment, hoping that there would be some spark to his memory, but there was nothing. "Ok, then, Chewie. Before we do anything else, I need some food. _Bad_." The wookiee patted him on the shoulder and took him to the nearest restaurant. At least the first old friend he'd found turned out to be decent so far, and to top it all off, he was going to get a much-needed meal out of the deal.

After ordering their food, Chewie left Han for a moment to wolf down the enormous breakfast he had ordered. Chewie actually had to help him pick because he wasn't sure he remembered what he liked to eat. He needed to tell Leia what had happened, though he wasn't sure how she would take the news about his apparent amnesia. He had an inkling that she would take it as he had; he was just happy to have found him. The rest could be dealt with later.

* * *

Leia had been staring absently out the window, trying to picture Han smiling at her when he came home, laughing at her for worrying too much and then holding her in his arms to reassure her that he was back and would never leave her. .

Luke had stayed with her all day. He hadn't said much, but she appreciated just having him there. Unable to sit still, she wandered aimlessly through the apartment until her eyes were drawn over to a holo of her and Han on their wedding day not too long ago. She recalled the total contentment she had felt. A lump rose in her throat as she looked at the image of the two of them smiling lovingly at each other, recalling how they had looked at each other the same way the night before he left.

A while later, when exhaustion had overwhelmed her and Leia had finally been able to fall asleep on the couch, she jumped up at the sound of her comlink chirping. Mid-conversation, Luke walked in from the kitchen and watched as Leia blew out a sigh of relief and tears once again filled her eyes, but this time they were tears of joy.

"Oh, Chewie, thank you. I'm so glad to hear that."

But it wasn't all so simple. "What do you mean he doesn't know who you are?" It didn't end there, either. "He doesn't know who _he_ is? Well, we have him back now. That's the important thing. Listen, Chewie; I want you to get him back here right away. I'll talk to some doctors and see what we can do. And Chewie? Thanks again." She put down the comlink and turned to her brother.

"I'm so glad to hear he found Han," Luke said.

"So am I. But there's something wrong, Luke."

"I know, I caught that. He doesn't know who he is?"

"No. We think he has amnesia." She had a sudden realization. "Do you suppose that's why we couldn't find him through the Force?"

"Yeah, I suppose maybe that's why. I mean, they don't exactly have any Jedi guidelines for that situation. But it seems like it would make sense. Essentially, right now Han is a lost soul. He's not radiating the same energy he usually is."

Leia didn't like when Luke put it that way. She couldn't imagine how awful it must be to not know who you are. "Well, we're going to make sure that soon he'll be radiating like the same old Han."

"Yes, we will."

"Now Luke, I have one more favor to ask of you."

"Name it."

"Now that I know he's on his way home, would you be so kind as to make me some breakfast? I'm starving."

"I'd love to."


	5. Chapter 5

Finally finding someone who knew who he was had added a huge level of comfort in addition to finally getting some food. Once they got up to leave the restaurant, the wookiee told him that they would now head back to their ship to go home. "You mean I don't live here?"

He gave him a resounding negative.

"Good, because I was getting sick of this pace already."

They came to the docking bay and the wookiee led him towards a huge, ugly-looking ship. He stopped in front of it and looked at his tall companion in disbelief. "_This_ is mine?"

Chewie nodded.

"How the hell did we get anywhere in this thing? It's a piece of junk. Guess I'm probably not rich, then."

Chewie let him know that the ship was more than adequate, and he seemed a bit irritated to have to tell him that. Chewie also let him know that he was very proud of his ship, and he did not enjoy hearing others talk negatively about it. He found that hard to believe, but there was a good chance that Chewie knew him better than he knew himself right now. "All right, whatever you say, pal."

Chewie reached down and affectionately mussed his hair in a gesture that initially annoyed him. But after spending so much time alone in the last day and a half, it was nice to find someone who seemed to genuinely care about him.

They boarded their ship and left the planet behind. - whatever planet it was.

* * *

Leia had talked to a few doctors about Han's apparent condition, and they gave her every reassurance that it was completely curable. It was only a matter of re-stimulating certain areas of brain activity. But they were careful to warn her that there was no telling how long it would take to get him to remember again. They also cautioned her about telling him too much too fast. He had to be eased back into things, and it was important for him to remember certain things on his own, when he was ready to remember.

She relayed the message to Chewie, making sure that he didn't try to explain too much. Luckily, Han had been preoccupied with getting cleaned up as soon as they were airborne, so he hadn't had a chance to ask too many questions yet. She couldn't wait to see him, but she was wondering what it would be like when she finally did. Could it be possible that he wouldn't even recognize her?

She had a romanticized vision that the moment he saw her, his memory would come back and he would run to her and hold her tightly. She knew it was childish to think that it was likely, so she tried to counter by preparing herself for the worst. For once, she found the worst-case scenario the harder of the two to imagine. But for now, she was just happy to know that he was safe.

* * *

He wiped the steam off the foggy mirror with his hand after he finished taking a much-needed shower. He was still surprised to see the stranger looking back at him, but at least he felt much better after getting cleaned up. He entered his quarters and went to find something to wear. _Not much variety in here,_ he thought. He grabbed a pair of pants with a gold stripe up the side and threw on a plain white shirt. Realizing he hadn't even asked about his own name yet, he decided he should go back out and talk to Chewie.

Joining his furry friend in the cockpit, he found him resting comfortably in the copilot seat. He hadn't even thought about the fact that there was a good chance Chewie was exhausted from looking for him. He found it odd sitting there next to his friend. He had to admit that he didn't really recall how to pilot a ship. Chewie looked saddened to hear that, but he understood, but out of respect he still handled the controls from the copilot seat. "Chewie?"

The wookiee lifted his head and opened his eyes. "Can you tell me some things about myself?"

Chewie looked at his friend and gave him what he could only describe as the wookiee-equivalent of a smile. He told him he would tell him some things, but it would be too difficult on him to hear everything at once. Not because there was anything he wouldn't want to hear, but because it might be too overwhelming. So he told him to ask the simple questions.

"Ok, well, I guess the first thing I need to know is what's my name?"

Once Chewie told him, he quickly realized why he had reacted to that word the day before.

"Solo, huh? Well, that explains that, then. Han Solo. I like it. Sounds good to me. There's so much else I wanted to know, I don't even know where to start."

Chewie told him not to bother because they were coming up on their home planet of Coruscant. Soon enough the doctors would be able to fix the damage and make him remember everything.

"So we live on Coruscant?" Chewie nodded. "We don't live together, do we?"

Until then Chewie hadn't thought of the possibility of Han not remembering his own wife. He couldn't imagine how it would feel to have someone you love so much forget about you. But he had felt close to the same thing, and he knew that sooner or later Han would remember. He would have to. Instead of explaining Leia to him, Chewie decided to let him remember that on his own. He simply answered no to his earlier question and would provide him with the details of his living situation later.


	6. Chapter 6

Chewie was forced to dock the _Falcon _ on his own as Han sat helplessly in the pilot's chair. With all of the natural instincts Han had, Chewie was shocked that he was unable to operate his own ship. When they landed, Han needed step by step instructions on where he was going and what would happen next.

Leia had told Chewie that right after they landed, Han was going to be taken in for some testing, and unfortunately, he would not be going home until he got at least part of his memory back. She also told Chewie that if Han didn't remember her when he saw her, that she did not want him to tell Han about her. The doctors didn't want to give him the kind of an emotional overload of realizing he had forgotten his own wife when his mind was in an altered state, as it could very well hinder the healing process.

Leia waited impatiently on the platform, wondering what would happen when Han saw her. Luke had accompanied her, knowing that this could be difficult, both for Leia and for himself.

The ramp of the _Millennium Falcon_ lowered and Leia was about to find out if Han was going to remember her or not.

* * *

Han walked down the ramp, having only a slight grasp on his identity. The platform was almost empty except for two people - a man and a woman - in the doorway. He hoped that they were more friends of his. He liked the idea of finding people who cared about him. It was such a good feeling having Chewie around, especially after feeling so alone since he had woken up.

Before he walked on, he had to ask. "Chewie, who are they?"

Chewie wasn't quite sure the best way to answer. He decided to keep it as simple as possible. [Friends of ours.]

"Great. I'm glad to hear I have more than one." He walked forward, anxiously awaiting the introductions to his old friends. It was odd having to be introduced to people he was sure he must've known for quite a while, and he was also anxious to find out what kind of people he chose as his friends.

Walking closer to his two new friends, he was instantly drawn to the beautiful face of the woman looking back at him. He was unable to take his eyes off her, and his breath caught in his throat. Finding himself suddenly embarrassed, he tried not to stare. He didn't want to start looking at his friends that way if he never had before. Still, there was just something about her…

"Good to see you, Han," the man said. "I'm Luke."

"Okay, Luke." He turned and looked into the deep, brown eyes of the woman at his side, again trying to hide his attraction. "And you are?"

* * *

Leia had mentally prepared herself for this, but she hadn't realized exactly how it would feel when he saw her and didn't know who she was. How could he not remember her? She knew she should be rational about this, as nobody ever knew how badly amnesia would affect one's memory, but that didn't change how much it hurt.

"Leia." She reached out her hand and he shook it like he would any other person he was just meeting. It was so painful looking at his face seeing no recognition there. His hazel eyes were the same on the exterior as they had been the night before he left, but the eyes that had once looked at her adoringly had become the eyes of a complete stranger with nothing behind them but a mess of confusion. Even right in front of her she couldn't feel his presence in the Force, and it nearly broke her heart.

Unable to speak anymore, Leia released Han's hand, and upon recognizing this, Luke spoke for her. "Come on, Han. We have to get you to the doctor. We're going to see if we can get your memory back."

"I'm all for that," Han said. "Let's go."

* * *

They had been running tests on Han for a few hours while Leia sat impatiently in the waiting area with Luke and Chewie. It was so odd knowing Han was in the next room and not being able to feel his presence through the Force, knowing he had forgotten everything they had been through together. She felt the unwelcome tears once again welling up in her eyes, annoyed that that had happened far too often over the past few days.

Noticing his sister's sudden surge of emotions, Luke sat next to her and put a comforting arm over her shoulder. "It'll be okay, Leia. You'll see. It'll just take time."

She leaned into him and wiped away the tears. "I know. I'm just a little impatient right now, that's all. This is not going to be easy."

"But you're strong, Leia. I know you can handle this. Han's right here now. And soon he'll remember everything, and you can get back to normal."

"I know, it just hurts, Luke. To look into my own husband's eyes and know that he doesn't know who I am. This whole time I've thinking about how awful it must be for him not knowing who he is, I never stopped to think about how I'd feel when he didn't remember me."

"He will. Believe me, he will. He could never forget you for long."

Leia felt a little bit better, and she lifted her head in time to see Han emerging from his hospital room followed by one of his doctors. "I thought maybe he should come out and see you all again. Maybe it might spark something."

Han looked over and saw Luke's arm around Leia. _Huh, those two must be an item. Good thing I didn't stare at her for too long before. Oh well, they seem good for each other._ He couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy. All he could remember of his life was loneliness, and he hoped that wouldn't always be the case.

"So, anything spark in there yet?" the doctor asked.

Han looked to his three friends. As far as he was concerned, they were the only three friends he had in the entire universe, but he still remembered nothing. Dejectedly, he shook his head slowly. "I'm sorry. I wish I could remember something. You don't know how much I want to remember."

"It's okay, Han," Leia said. "We understand. You just keep trying."

"Right now you need to rest a little bit. We'll try to stimulate some brain activity in the morning. By then we should be able to make some progress."

"All right, Doc. Thanks. Goodnight everyone. Please, go home and get some sleep. Don't stay here on my account." He left the room before they could say another word.

"How is he?" Leia asked.

"Physically he's fine. A bump on the head and a slight concussion, but that's not too much to worry about. According to his medical records he's been through much worse."

"Tell me about it," Leia said under her breath.

"Anyway, he still has almost total memory loss. But we can get his brain functioning normally again. It's just a question of how much stimulation is needed. We have to start slowly and then work our way up. There's no telling how long it will take, but I assure you, he will be the same man again."

"Thank you so much. That's all I wanted to hear," Leia said, feeling a surge of relief.

"Let's get you home and get you to sleep, Leia," Luke said.

"I'll give it a try, but you know me."

"Yes, I do. I only wish _he_ did."

She couldn't have agreed more.


	7. Chapter 7

Han's ordeal had become increasingly difficult for Leia. It had been five days since his return, and he had yet to recall a single thing about his past. Every day the doctors would attach electrodes to his forehead and try to stimulate his brain activity in an effort to make his memory return. So far they had failed, though they planned on continually increasing the intensity of the stimulation.

Leia visited him as much as she could stand, but seeing him look at her like a distant acquaintance was far too difficult to handle for more than a few minutes at a time. His personality was at least the same as the man she remembered, frustrated with the doctors and always trying to mask it with his sense of humor. She appreciated the fact that he enjoyed joking about how he thought they only administered this type of therapy in insane asylums, and perhaps it was all a ruse and that was where they were actually keeping him.

Han had remained in the hospital, which left Leia alone in a bed that always felt so empty without the presence of the warm, comforting body of her husband lying by her side. Unable to sleep much over the past few nights, she was suddenly reminded of when they'd made love the night before he left when everything had seemed so perfect. Wrapping both of her arms around his pillow and inhaling his scent was hardly a worthy substitute, but if she closed her eyes and concentrated hard enough, she could see him lying next to her again, feel him in her arms instead of an inanimate object.

Noticing the sun finally peeking in the window, Leia arose and what she had done very morning since Han had returned: she got up and went straight to the hospital, always anxious to see if there was any progress, and tired – not just from lack of sleep, but of spending so many nights alone.

* * *

Han was seated on his bed, twiddling his thumbs and waiting impatiently for another treatment. He had been proud of himself for outwardly displaying so much patience throughout this process, but the truth was, he was starting to get irritated. He was also starting to feel like those doctors had no idea what they were talking about. Why was it that nobody would just _tell _him about his life? Was his life really so terrible? Either way, when was he going to get it back?

He had dreamt again the night before about the faceless woman he was reaching for. This time, for a brief moment, he thought maybe it was Leia, but the vision remained unclear. In the short time since he'd 'met' her, he really liked her. Reaching for her in the dream though felt awfully similar to the feeling of wanting to reach out to her more and more each day when she had visited. Unfortunately he still had no idea of the exact nature of their relationship, so he had to try to be friendly without acting interested, which was proving to be tougher every day. She never stayed as long as he wanted her to, but what time she was there was always the highlight of his day, and he wondered if when he got better he'd get to see her just as often.

As if she'd known what he had been thinking, Leia had finally arrived for her daily visit, and Han's mood immediately brightened. "Hi, come on in," he said, trying to hide his excitement.

"How do you feel?"

"Okay, I guess. I feel like I shouldn't have to be here anymore. I think I should try to get my life back together. Maybe it would help."

"The doctors think it would be best if we tried this first."

"Hunh, what do they know?"

She smiled at him, and again he decided that he liked it when she did that. "Listen, Luke and I will be right here for you after your next treatment. You be sure to remember us soon, even if it's not today. Just please, try to get better."

"I'll do my best, Leia."

He thought he saw the faintest hint of tears in her deep, brown eyes. He'd spent a lot of time recently thinking about those eyes, and he didn't like to see her upset, especially if it was on his behalf. "Are you okay?" he asked her.

Silent for a bit longer than expected, she swallowed hard before answering. "I'll be fine. I just don't like having to see you like this, that's all."

He could've sworn her heard her voice breaking a little. "You and me, both. I can't wait to look in the mirror and recognize the guy in it, and I can't wait to remember all of you. You've been so great. Even though I barely know you, I feel really lucky to have a friend like you in my life."

She smiled and reached over and squeezed his hand, and he found himself taken aback by the gesture. It was more than just a touch; there was warmth and reassurance there, and he got a little nervous when he realized that he didn't want her to let go. Maybe he was taking it a little too seriously, as she seemed like she was just a genuinely caring person. He was probably reading too much into it, but it seemed so familiar.

Realizing that she hadn't let go, he slowly slid his hand away. He gave her a smile to ease the awkwardness, frustrated that he couldn't remember what he had ever done to deserve this beautiful woman's genuine concern for his health.

He was overwhelmed with the desire to lean in and kiss her, but he felt it would be too presumptuous. He didn't know if she'd want him to, although she sure seemed to look like she wanted him to. There was something behind her eyes that made him feel that there was more than friendship between them, but he just couldn't muster up the courage to do it. Luke was also his friend, and he would never want to betray one of his friends, although he had to wonder if maybe he was wrong about them. All he really wanted was for his brain to cooperate and give him the answers he was so desperately seeking.

_Maybe she and I are…_ but no. Wouldn't she have said something by now? He couldn't possibly be that lucky.

The doctor's voice echoed from the doorway, breaking the silence that had been hanging heavily in the room. "Excuse me, it's time for another treatment."

Han was slightly relieved that the tension had been broken. "I'll be right there," he said. "Gotta go now and let them fry my brain some more."

She seemed to appreciate his bit of humor and decided to help further lighten the mood. "Go ahead. You never used it that much anyway."

"Damn, I was hoping I was a smart guy." He knew she was kidding, but he felt this inexplicable need to get the last word in.

"Sorry, but the truth is you're probably better off not remembering. Some of it's pretty ugly."

"I doubt that. I don't know how long I've known you, Leia, but I'm positive you're worth remembering."

She smiled at him again, and hitting him like a stun bolt to the chest, he couldn't deny it anymore: he was falling in love with her. "You'll just have to wait and see. But please, don't wait too long."

"For you? I'll do whatever it takes." He gave her a quick wink before he left the room, and wondered if he was going to be able to stand in the same room with her again without telling her how he felt.

Once he was lying on the examining table he was at least able to focus more on his recovery, and the fact that he was glad that he hadn't been forced to wear one of those embarrassing hospital gowns. Instead, he lay comfortably in a pair of loose-fitting sleep pants and a simple white t-shirt. There were electrodes attached across his forehead and he was instructed to relax, and he shut his eyes and slowed his breathing.

The feeling of the electricity that coursed through his body during these treatments was not at all what he had expected. At first he'd thought he'd have to lie there being singed with painful jolts – he had been electrocuted a few times while working on the _Falcon _and it was certainly not something he'd like to experience voluntarily. But he was pleasantly surprised to find that it was merely a warm, tingly sensation.

Completely relaxed, he tried not to force his mind to do anything it wasn't ready to. Electricity surged through his head, working to stimulate those forgotten memories as it had every day for over a week, thus far without success.

Then, quite suddenly, he caught a flash of something. It wasn't much, but he knew he hadn't seen it before. In a sudden rush of exhilaration, he realized that it was a memory from his past. He was a small child, standing alone in the street, wearing no shoes and incredibly hungry. He begged people for money, but most just dismissed him. He almost wanted to laugh at how similar this image was to what he had experienced when he first woke up on Ord Mantell. It was like starting all over again as a child.

Then there were more memories, small flashes from various parts of his life. He remembered racing through streets on a speeder, sharing an adventurous flight with his copilot friend Chewbacca, and running from blaster fire down the very streets of Ord Mantell he had just visited. But then, there was nothing else.

Although he was encouraged that he was finally remembering, his curiosity grew as he wondered how all of those events had pieced together to form the history his life. This self-discovery thing was proving to be very interesting, and he was relieved to finally be making some progress, but then he was disappointed when he realized that none of the new memories involved Leia. He wondered how his subconscious could be keeping those memories from him when at the moment she was all he could think about.


	8. Chapter 8

The doctors had assured Leia that now that they had opened the gate for his memories, it would only be a matter of time before everything came back to him. Although he had some pieces of his past back, Leia was discouraged that she was still unable to feel his presence in the Force. There was a small shadow of what once was, but it was nothing like what he used to be.

The one constant so far was that he still did not remember her. She wanted to throw her arms around him and make him remember, but she was afraid of looking into his eyes and not seeing the same man behind them, not to mention the thought of prolonging his recovery, as the doctors had warned her might happen if he was overwhelmed with too much emotional information at once. She tried to remind herself that she possessed the patience and strength to get through this, and she composed herself enough to go and visit him once again.

* * *

Although he was remembering new things every day, Han was becoming increasingly annoyed that he was still missing key elements from his past. In fact, his emotions had gotten the best of him, and the unfortunate young doctor who happened to be on duty that morning was bearing the brunt of his frustrations.

"I'm getting pretty damn sick and tired of nobody telling me anything, and I just want to get out of here. _Tell _me the rest so I can go home!"

The doctor was standing far back from him in the corner, obviously afraid that Han might become physically violent. Han wasn't so much mad at the doctor as he was mad at the situation, but that probably wasn't going to stop him from throwing a few punches. It wasn't likely to help things, but it'd probably make him feel at least a little bit better.

"Please, Captain Solo, you must understand! The brain is delicate to work with, we can't just go forcing memories on you, there's no way of telling how you will react."

"That is the biggest load of bantha crap I've ever heard. I don't know everything about myself, but I'm pretty sure that 'delicate' is not a word I'd use to describe _anything _about me."

"But, sir, you really have to understand…"

"I'd _love _to understand, but nobody will tell me a damn thing!"

Han had had enough, and he was approaching the doctor, ready to _show _him just how angry he was. But before he reached him, he heard a familiar but stern voice from the doorway.

"Han!"

He stopped dead in his tracks. It was her again. Leia. Very quickly all of his rage seemed to fade away, and he suddenly felt like an idiot.

"Leia. Hi. The good doctor here and I were just having a discussion about my situation. I think I should get to go home, but he doesn't think that would be such a good idea."

"I'm sorry, doctor," Leia said. "Would you mind leaving us alone for a few minutes?"

The doctor looked as though that was the best idea he had ever heard. "Absolutely. Take as long as you want." He exited the room hastily, leaving Han and Leia.

"So what's going on, Han?"

He had been having a hard time hiding the way his face lit up every time he saw her, but he was growing tired of feeling as though nobody was on his side. "I'm just a little tired of waiting for my brain to give me back the rest of my memories, and I'm starting to wonder if everyone is keeping something from me. Tell me, was my life really so terrible that nobody will tell me the rest?"

She reached up and put a hand on his arm, and he didn't realize how a simple touch could instantly make him feel better. "Of course not, Han. Your life is… well – this might just be my opinion, mind you – but your life is pretty wonderful. Believe me when I tell you I'm pretty sure you're quite happy with it. But again, that's just my opinion."

"Are you sure you're not just saying that to make me feel better and so I won't try and knock the teeth out of any more of my doctors."

She laughed then, and he wondered if he usually made her laugh often. "Of course not. You're a great man, Han Solo. And I'm sure you'll remember it for yourself, soon."

She was still touching him, and looking into her eyes then he felt himself leaning down towards her without thinking, wanting to press his lips to hers. He leaned down ever so slowly, sure to give her enough time to stop him if that was what she really wanted. He could feel the heat of her skin before he even touched it, and he wasn't quite sure but he thought he noticed her slightly tilt her chin up to give him easier access.

"Hey, I heard what happened," Luke said from the doorway, startling them both.

The moment was gone, and he abruptly pulled his face away from Leia's, feeling like an idiot for the second time in less than five minutes. He thought he saw the faintest hint of disappointment on Leia's face, and she pulled her hand from his arm, leaving him just a little bit colder.

"Han, you didn't go punching out any doctors, did you?" Luke asked, seemingly oblivious to what he had just interrupted.

Luke had proven to be a great friend in this short period he'd 'known' him. It almost got on his nerves how nice of a guy he was, but it made him see why Leia had probably ended up with him.

Han was thankful that Leia answered first. "He tried, but I got here just in time."

"Well, that's a relief. Leia has always done a pretty good job of stopping you from doing something stupid, Han. Hopefully you'll remember that soon."

Luke stepped to Leia's side then and put his arm around her shoulder, and she turned towards him to give him a quick hug. Han was feeling more and more like an idiot every second.

"I'll do my best, kid."

Luke and Leia smiled then, looking like they were sharing some inside joke that Han wasn't allowed in on. He decided not to press them for answers.

"Can you tell the doctor I'll promise not to hit him if he comes back and gives me another treatment?" _And maybe tell him to turn up the voltage and put me out of my misery, while he's at it?_

"Sure, Han. I'll be right back." Luke answered before leaving Leia alone with him once again.

He was embarrassed to even admit to himself that he was afraid to just tell her how he felt about her. "I'm sorry," he said, unable to look in her eyes.

"For what?"

"Just for… uh, for losing my temper earlier at the doctor." That wasn't what he had meant to apologize for, but it seemed a lot easier to say.

"Oh, don't worry about it. I think I'd be more worried about you if you weren't getting mad. Then there might be more wrong with you than just your memory."

Luke returned before Han had a chance to respond. "Doctor's ready for you, Han."

"Thanks, I'll be right there."

Standing to leave the room, he paused for a moment. "Leia?"

"Yes?"

His mouth moved silently, unable to voice the words he longed to say. Instead, all he could get out was, "Uh, thanks." _Great, now you even _sound _like an idiot._

"You're welcome." She gave him another heart-warming smile, and he left the room before he had a chance to say or do anything else stupid.


	9. Chapter 9

After leaving Han to his doctors, Leia met Luke in the waiting area. Feeling slightly confused, she wondered if she had imagined it that Han was leaning in to kiss her. Maybe he was just going to kiss her on the cheek to thank her for visiting, but she'd never know since Luke had interrupted. _It's like a universe-wide sick joke that we always seem to get interrupted, _she thought.

"So, Leia, we've spent a lot of time worrying about Han, but how are _you _doing?"

"I'm all right, I suppose."

"Are you sure? You do remember who I am, don't you?"

Sometimes it was a real hassle having a Jedi who could read your thoughts as a brother. "Okay, maybe not great, but I think I'm doing a lot better than I was now that he's started to remember some things. I just wish he'd remember at least something about me. At this point I'd settle if he remembered back to when I used to hate him."

Luke let out a laugh at his sister's comment. "Come on, you know you never really hated him. You only wanted him to think you did."

"I thought I did a pretty good acting job on that, didn't I?"

Luke looked at her and shook his head. "It was a good effort, but I think we all knew the truth long before either of you did. And even now, when he doesn't remember you, I can see the way he looks at you. The two of you share a special bond, and I don't think it's going to take much longer for him to remember you. I can already sense his presence much stronger in the Force."

So Luke had noticed it, too. "Thanks, Luke. And speaking of the way he's been looking at me, I might be imagining things, but I could've sworn he was about to kiss me before you came in."

"Does that surprise you?"

"I don't know. I'm not sure what to think about all of this."

"Well, hopefully you won't have to deal with it much longer."

Leia couldn't suppress a yawn, and it wasn't until that moment that she realized just how tired she was. "Would you mind taking me home? I think I've had enough of this place for today. And if I see Han again and he tries to kiss me before he actually realizes who I am, I don't think I'll be able to stop him."

"I'm guessing you won't even have to. I have a good feeling."

Leia wasn't so sure. "Whatever you say. Now let's go."

"You got it."

So far Han had remembered bits and pieces of his childhood, having forgotten how difficult that part of his life had been. Then there was the freedom of being a young man and not having to answer to anyone. He remembered flying with Chewie, though he could never remember specifics like where they were going or what they were doing. He just knew that he was enjoying flying with his friend and partner.

Chewie had been coming to visit him as well, and he was glad that he could share some memories with at least one of his friends, although Chewie never elaborated beyond anything Han would bring up himself.

He still hadn't remembered anything about Luke or Leia, and he wondered how long they had been a part of his life. In his irritation, he had demanded that the frequency of the treatments be increased, so that night the doctors agreed to give him another session. His last encounter with Luke and Leia had left him aching to know the details of their friendship. It was the middle of the night, but he'd been finding it nearly impossible to sleep, haunted by dreams and feeling unbearably alone in his hospital room.

Electrodes attached, Han felt the tingling on his skin and relaxed as the treatment began. First, he had some flashes of some old moments he had already come across: Chewie, the _Falcon, _making stupid gambling decisions in games of Sabacc.

But then, out of nowhere, there was an overwhelming rush of new memories surging through his head. The floodgates had opened, and every event of his life passed through him, filling in all the gaps he had been missing since his accident.

His smuggling, the first time he met Luke, destroying the Death Star, the way Leia looked her her white dress when she gave him his medal, spending the night nearly freezing to death on Hoth, the first time he kissed Leia, "I love you," "I know," defeating the Empire… his wedding day! Leia was his wife!

He felt the hot burning of tears at the sudden realization, wondering how in the universe he could've possibly forgotten her.

Then he had a flash of his recurring dream, only this time he saw Leia's face as she reached for him, and this time, he took her hand. His heart lifted with the sudden knowledge that he and Leia shared such a deep love for one another, and he knew he wouldn't have to be lonely anymore, lost without the memories of so much that was so important to him.

He recalled the first time she had confessed her love for him, the first time he realized he loved her, though he didn't tell her until some time later. He remembered how she had come for him at Jabba's palace, making him realize for the first time that he was truly loved, and deciding that he was going to spend the rest of his life trying to make her feel the same way. He remembered the first time he and Leia had made love, never knowing it could be so beautiful until it was with her.

He felt the tingling stop, and he slowly sat up and looked at his doctor. Pulling the electrodes off of his forehead, he said, "I don't think I'll be needing these anymore. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get home to my wife. Thanks a lot. Thank you for giving me my life back."

He smiled and left to go home, only just now realizing how much he had missed it.


	10. Chapter 10

Leia had somehow finally managed to fall into a deep sleep. Weeks of restless nights had finally caught up with her, and she was curled up on her side of the bed with an arm draped over Han's pillow.

She was dreaming of seeing Han and reaching out for him through the Force, only this time she felt his presence the way it always was. The fleeting sense of completeness left her as she was suddenly startled awake by the sound of a door opening.

Peeking through the darkness, she saw the shadow of someone in her bedroom, and she was terrified for only a second before she finally realized what was happening. That feeling hadn't been a dream.

She reached out again, and she felt Han, right there in front of her, seeming to have finally come back to himself. She said his name softly, hoping this wasn't just part of another dream. "Han?"

She waited only a moment for response, and after Han turned on the light, illuminating the handsome features she had come to know so well, he walked towards her. "Leia Organa Solo. Why didn't you just tell me?"

Unable to hold back the emotion, she felt the tears running down her cheeks, thankfully not prompted by sadness this time. Han was back.

Sitting down on the bed next to her, he wiped the wetness off her cheek with his thumb and then surrounded her with a nearly crushing embrace. She felt his hand stroking her hair before he spoke. "Leia, I'm so sorry. I don't know how I could've forgotten you."

"It's not your fault. I'm just so glad you're all right now."

"Well, I'm never going to forget you again. I can promise you that."

Leaning back, she placed her hands on either side of his face. "It's so good to have you back. You have no idea what it's been like. When you had amnesia, it was like you were dead in the Force. When you hit your head it woke me up, and I actually felt like you had died. I couldn't find you in the Force, and I didn't think I was ever going to see you again."

He looked at her sympathetically. "You thought I was dead?"

"That's what it felt like. I didn't know you were alive until Chewie found you. You didn't have the same presence. Luke described it by saying you were a lost soul."

"I had no idea. Nobody told me. I can't imagine what that must've been like for you." He reached up and stroked her cheek with his warm, rough hands. "But hey, I'm right here. And I don't plan on going anywhere anytime soon. I'm so sorry you had to go through that. But you know what? It gave me a chance to fall in love with you all over again. Every time you came to visit me I wanted to tell you, or to kiss you. But if you want to know something funny, I didn't say anything because I thought you were with Luke."

She couldn't hold back the laughter, and had to reach up and wipe her nose. "Again?"

"Well nobody would ever just _tell _me anything, so I had to make my own assumptions."

"I guess we just never even thought about it. So you _were _going to kiss me the last time I visited, just before Luke came in."

Han shrugged his shoulders. "I couldn't help myself anymore. Every time you came to visit me I wanted to say something. You always had quite an effect on me, Leia. I got to see you for the first time all over again. Only this time we weren't being shot at by stormtroopers, so you didn't yell at me quite so much. And this time, I fell in love with you the minute I saw you."

She reached up and took his face in her hands. "I've missed you so much."

Looking into his eyes she once again saw the love there that he had momentarily forgotten existed, just as strong as ever. She pulled his face down to hers and kissed him fiercely, having wanted to do this since the moment he had returned from Ord Mantell. It hadn't been easy before to see him and not be able to hold him in her arms and let him take the pain away as he had so many times before.

He broke their kiss, and echoed what he had said the night before he left. "You're all there is for me, Leia. I love you so much. You wouldn't believe how good it felt when I remembered that we were married. Especially because for a few seconds, the first things I remembered about you were from back when you couldn't stand me."

She smiled at him then. "There was never a time I couldn't stand you. Even though I desperately wanted to hate your guts, you simply made it impossible. I love you, Han. Having you here right now is all that matters to me. But if you ever have to ask me my name again…"

"I won't. Your highnessness."

They smiled at one another and leaned in for another kiss, and Leia savored feel of Han's lips against hers. She was all-too familiar with where this was headed, and she realized she had never before appreciated so much the familiarity of her relationship with her husband.

Elated that he had finally remembered everything, Leia felt Han's hands slipping underneath her nightgown and warming the skin along her back. It had only been a few weeks, but she hadn't realized how much she'd missed his touch. _He certainly remembers well enough how to do_ _this_, she thought.

She held him close, never wanting to let him go. But she knew that soon enough they would be back to their normal routines, and one of them would probably have to go off somewhere again. She was just going to have to make the most of the time she did have with him, however short it might be.

Overcome with desire, feeling the need to remind him what, up until a short while ago, he hadn't even known he'd been missing, she kissed him more passionately and was pleased when he responded hungrily, realizing that she had been waiting longer for this than he had. Needing to feel his skin against hers, she un-tucked his shirt and slipped it up over his head. Having his warm body to hold once again was a vast improvement to his pillow.

Han seemed overcome by her intensity as she ran her hands up behind his head, and pulled away from the kiss for a moment. "How long has it been since we did this?"

"Close to a month, now," she replied breathlessly, fingers still tangled in his hair.

"Well, we'd better make up for lost time then, huh?"

He smiled at her and she smiled back just before she pulled his face to hers again. She hadn't felt like she needed him so desperately in such a long time, and he seemed as eager as she was.

His lips moved from her mouth to nibble on her earlobe, and she heard him whisper, "I love you, Leia." She never tired of hearing him say those words. And she knew he would never forget their meaning ever again.

**THE END**

See? Told you it was really sappy and mushy. Admittedly I originally wrote a different ending that would definitely change the story rating, but I thought it worked better ending this way. Thanks for reading if you made it through, and I really appreciate feedback!


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